Hey People I am going to buy a surf style board soon but i have no idea what style board is the right fit for me..I have been kiting on TTs for the last 3 years and i feel like trying something new..So any input here will be appreciated..I weigh 96 kgs i am 5 foot 10.. I like the idea of surfing strappless but i am wondering is it better to start with straps..I suppose a board that can do both will be good..My kites are F-one Bandit 4 an 8,10 and 12 meter.. Alan

Many of the kitesurf surf boards come with straps so you can choose which you want to do or swap depending on the conditions.

I have been riding the Liquid Force 5'9'' this year and it was great, a real kitesurf specific surfboard with nice nose rocker, smooth ride and good drive through the turn, it has the bamboo laminate construction which is solid. Quite a thin fast board that need a bit of power or a bigger wave so not the ideal first surf board.

I am getting the Liquid Force 5'10'' Slice this year to add to it as I tried it in the autumn and loved it, really surfy feel and a bit more width and flatter rocker than the 5'9'' so more efficient and you can really let the wave do the work. Also have the addition of the carbon rails for 2013 which combined with the bamboo laminate makes it pretty much indestructible.

If you like your F-one stuff then another board you could check out as your first surfboard is the new F-one 5'11. I have not tried it yet but the shape and dimensions looks good.

Or if you want a cheap and fun surf style board, take a look a the Liquid Force kitefish, it is really easy to use as it is wide and flat giving it good stability and efficiency, great in lightwinds and small waves, such a fun board and one to keep in your van to make those marginal sessions amazing!

There are lots of great options for you. As Doggy mentioned lots of companies make kite specific surfboards that often have inserts in the deck so you can add straps. Some come without inserts to reduce weight slightly, but I think the strength of boards with inserts are a little higher.

We demoed the Cabrinha Skillit 5'6" thruster and S-Quad 5'7" at our shop last season. Both were great boards. They felt solid, I rode the s-quad mostly because the quad setup just seemed more fun to hack. Given your weight, you might want to stick with Doggys recommendations and keep around the 5'10-6'0 range. These models both come with optional straps but no special fin setup options. Also pretty expensive, have some eco friendly aspects to their production.

RRD makes some sweet rides too, might feel a bit heavier but they make really nice straps. I like the Maquina and the ASSO pigliatutto.

I recently picked up a Firewire Hellfire (KHF) in a 5'6". I'm only 63 kgs so if you went this route, I'd suggest the 5'10". They are discontinuing the Dominator which has more volume but would also be good if you could find one. Anyways, they make other models without inserts but the Hellfire has inserts. It's slightly heavy but feels really good. I feel like sometimes the really light boards fly away in strapless airs if you aren't paying attention. The Hellfire has 5/4/3 fin configuration and comes with 4 fins I think, or maybe you can choose thruster set up but you can change back and forth between the thruster, quad or whatever you choose as long as you have the right amount of fins. The quad setup works really well for light winds, something I like to change up and then go back onto my thruster setup for more wind. The bottom surface is also double concave which has a really nice feeling through chop and sloppy waves.

They don't come with straps or deck pads but they are sweet. I suggest going to http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/kitesurfing/ Click on the forum if you want to get some really great info from Brian or Felix. They could direct you towards the perfect match out of their lineup.

Once you get a board, spend some time in a sound, or bay, or less wavy waters to dial in your gybes and turns without the straps.

yup like mentioned above. Tons of great options. Do a little research on how and what you want to ride. Board for different conditions and skill sets.

What waves? Pure wave or free riding? Tricks?

No need to start with straps if you want to go strapless, then just go strapless. Alternatively..if you want straps then get them If you want to have the option of adding straps, then get a board that has inserts.

A great all round board is the 5'9'' Naish Skater. It has some volume, and is a great all round board unless the waves are super big. Super fun.http://naishkites.com/skater/

It has inserts but does not come with straps. Super tough build though, which I think is important. Puny people does not understand the value of having a board that does not break first time you jump it...... I'm your weight, and this is my go to board.

just get a couple of used surf boards for cheap and ride them till they dieget a couple of different shapes and have fun trying to decide which you like best when you can feel the differences, then go get a good board

if you want, you can add straps to any boardand yes, they will ALL break

I am 180 cm/5.9, 85 kgs and also looking to buy a new kite surf board, which will be used for chop/small waves. Considering Cabrinha and Fone boards, but wondering about the size and type. Is there a chart that i can use? Thx

Ccsurfboards (celtic connections) do a carbon decked (but not base - so still flexable) model called the hellkat. Check it out on their website. They are light,flexable,strong and affordable. I'm selling my current model on the boards sale section of the kiteboarder forum.

Who is online

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum